Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was given a role this past offseason in determining how the team's roster would pan out heading into 2020-21.
Lillard explained to Sam Amick of The Athletic his involvement with the front office:
“Yeah, I mean in the offseason I have personal relationships with my teammates so I don’t like to be the guy responsible for saying, ‘All right, let’s do this and let’s get rid of this guy and let’s bring in this guy,’” he began via Zoom after the win over the Lakers. “But (the Blazers front office) asked me, you know, to name a few players that I liked, that I felt like could help our team. And I did that. And you know, our front office did their job. I didn’t go in there (and) demand anything. They just asked me the names of players I liked, and that’s what I did.”
Damian Lillard knew the Blazers needed to improve defensively after they were a train wreck last season. Portland added Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. this past offseason to do just that. Needless to say, Lillard approves:
“I think that we did a great job of bringing in guys that can actually help our team. You know, I think DJ and RoCo both make us a better team defensively.”
The two newcomers made their share of plays in the Blazers' game against the Houston Rockets, headlined by Covington's clutch steal on James Harden's bad pass to secure their first win of the season.
Both players carried over their solid play against the Los Angeles Lakers, causing headaches for both LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a bid to limit their impact on the game. Portland took home a 115-107 victory to make it two wins in a row.
Based on their performance early in the season, it seems as if Damian Lillard's insights allowed the team to get the right guys to fit in the team's system. The Blazers will look to sustain their momentum as they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 30.
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